What to Do If You Discover Your Child Has a Gun (opens in new tab)

Firearms are now the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens, surpassing motor vehicle crashes. Suicide attempts using a gun are fatal roughly 90% of the time, compared with about 3% for other common methods — meaning the presence of a gun can turn a fleeting impulse into a permanent loss. Teens with ADHD already face elevated suicide risk, partly because impulsivity speeds the path from thought to action. The window between discovery and a tragic outcome can be minutes, not days.